Definition of overstepnext
as in to exceed
to go beyond the limit of the principal overstepped her authority in ordering everyone to remain in the unheated school

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overstep This extravagant, cartoonish, and shockingly unfunny folly about the hysteria surrounding a Japanese invasion of California shows a boy-wonder director testing his limits — and overstepping them. Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026 The trade court ruled 2-1 that Trump overstepped the tariff power that Congress had delegated to the president under the law. ABC News, 11 June 2026 Last week, a disagreement over the electoral law erupted into a power struggle between Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and the Provisional Electoral Council after council members accused the government of overstepping its authority and acting unconstitutionally. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026 There are also worries that some local law enforcement could overstep. Ashley Lopez, NPR, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for overstep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overstep
Verb
  • The Lodging Association letter, which was written by executive director Fred Tayco, says charging hotels a flat fee could violate Proposition 26’s requirements that fees not exceed the reasonable cost of providing a service.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Near-record copper prices, exceeding $6 a pound, are prompting manufacturers to switch to aluminum, signaling a potential end to copper's boom.
    Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Organizers of celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.
    Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • With the more than 2,000-acre jump in size, the Aspen Acres fire has surpassed the 2012 High Park fire and sits behind the 2018 Spring Creek fire, which consumed 108,045 acres, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
    Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 5 July 2026

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“Overstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overstep. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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